Tabata Training For Fat Burning

Burn Fat While You Sleep Thanks To A Tabata Workout

Starting a fat loss plan and want to know the fastest, most effective way to shed fat?

If you’ve been doing your research, you likely already know that when it comes to cardio for fat burning, interval training is the route to go.

This form of training is highly intense, so not only will it dramatically improve your overall fitness status, but in addition to that, it also burns plenty of calories while you do it.

But even more importantly, it will cause your body to burn up plenty of calories after the session is over, as it elevates your resting metabolic rate for up to 48 hours post workout.

This literally means you can burn fat while you sleep – something you may have only ever dreamed of.

Now, with regular interval training, you typically perform short bouts of 15-60 second intervals, supplemented with rest periods that are two to three times as long.

And while this is what gives you those great results, there is one cardio protocol that is even better.

That protocol? Tabata training.

Let’s look at what this protocol is all about and how you can ensure that you see the results that you’re after.

What Is Tabata Training?

First let’s talk about what Tabata training is. As a short description, it’s basically interval training on steroids.

It is the most intense workout you will ever do, but the payoff is high. You can really see your metabolic rate soar after using this program and will see increased fat loss results as a result of it.

With such a quick workout, Tabata can be done almost anywhere, anytime

Not to mention, because the intensity is so very high, you’ll also notice your fitness level increase dramatically.

So what is it?

The protocol itself lasts just four minutes in length. Now, you might be thinking – four minutes? How could four minutes be that hard?!?

But try it and you will soon find out.

What you’ll be doing with the Tabata protocol is alternating short but very intense bouts of 20 second intervals coupled with 10 second rest breaks.

Now, remember with standard interval training, your rest break is usually two to three times longer than the interval itself.

With this protocol, you reverse that. Now, the rest period is half as long as the interval, meaning you hardly have any time to recover.

This 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off set up is repeated a total of 8 times to make up the four minute session.

You should always begin this protocol with a brief warm-up and finish with a cool-down as you bring your heart rate back down to normal level.

Selecting Your Mode Of Exercise For The Tabata Training Protocol

In order for the Tabata protocol to be effective, you need to select the right mode of exercise.

If you were to attempt to do it on a treadmill for instance, which takes a good 5 seconds to get up to speed and 5 seconds to slow down again, you can see how this would totally destroy the nature of the protocol.

You need to choose exercise varieties that are extremely intense and that you can go from zero to 100% effort in less than a second.

Basically, the only thing hindering you getting to stop speed is you.

One great option here is uphill sprinting. This is a very intense exercise to use because not only is sprinting itself very intense, but now you’ve gone and added the hill for added resistance.

You might also choose to use a spinning bike, which you can typically take to high intensity levels in less than a second.

Some people also like using bodyweight exercises. For instance, burpees work perfectly for this protocol because they work multiple muscle groups, get your heart rate up, and are very intense.

Generally, the more compound the exercise is – that is it uses multiple muscle groups, the better it will work for this.

You can also utilise lighter weight resistance moves as well. For instance, kettlebell swings or even lighter weight deadlifts could work.

Just note that if you are using external weight, this will be placing some stress on the CNS (Central Nervous System), so you’ll want to be more careful with how you schedule these sessions into your overall workout protocol.

Remember that you are never married to just one exercise mode either. In fact, it’s best if you can switch from exercise variation to exercise variation as you go about your program plan.

Points To Know Before You Begin Tabata

Now, before you begin Tabata training, there are some important things to know.

First, this is a very intense workout and not intended for beginners.

If you have never done straight interval training before, start there. Once you are comfortable with that protocol, then you can advance to Tabata training.

Likewise, if you are doing a number of other heavy, intense weight lifting workouts per week, be careful about how many Tabata sessions you add in.

As mentioned, it is going to be more stressful for your Central Nervous System, so if you aren’t allowing enough total downtime per week for recovery, you could find yourself quickly overtraining.

Increase intensity by running up a hill or steep street near you

You should never have more than four – maybe five if you are very advanced – intense sessions per week. You need those down days for recovery.

Finally, you’ll want to treat this session just like you would a weight lifting session in terms of your fueling strategy.

Even though it’s just four minutes in length, you’ll still need a good source of carbs prior to the workout session.

Don’t attempt this workout on a very low carb diet. You need that energy.

Likewise, do try and get in a post workout meal of protein and carbohydrates.

As the session is only four minutes, you don’t need to worry about getting this in immediately post-workout, but as long as the next meal you eat does contain both protein and carbs, you should be set.

Integrating Tabata Into Your Workout Program

Finally, when it comes to adding Tabata to your workout program, make sure that you don’t do it immediately after a leg training day.

In fact, treat it like you would another leg workout during the week. Schedule it far enough away from your leg training sessions that you will have sufficient time for recovery.

This will help ensure that you can put forth a maximum performance, seeing all the great results this protocol has to offer.

Finally, if you wish, you can perform more steady state, moderate paced cardio training after the four minutes if you wish to accelerate fat burning even further.

Your energy level post Tabata training will dictate whether this is possible or not – listen to your body as it will tell you what to do.

So there you have the key facts to know about what is often considered to be the most powerful fat burning cardio variety that you can possibly do in your program.

If you have not given it a try yet and are at the fitness level to do so, I’d highly recommend that you get started.